


The Cruel Thing Was

by MissKatt



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Angst, Pre-Series, Probably minor gangsey near the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-01-27 23:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12592448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissKatt/pseuds/MissKatt
Summary: "But the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you."David LevithanThe life of Czerny before he was just Noah, his friendship with Whelk, his death and the immediate aftermath.





	1. Freshman Year - Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This is set to be 10 chapters and I have the story fully planned, but I'm nearing finals. I'm going to try to update every week but be patient.

August: 

"Whelk!" Noah Czerny crowed, tackling his best friend from behind as they passed through Aglionby Academy's gates. "Cheer up, would you. High school! We're starting high school!" 

"C'mon, Czerny. Shut up." Whelk slapped Czerny lightly on his head. "Could you clam down a little. It's just school." 

"It's high school," Czerny said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

Whelk finally smiled. "Yeah. High school." 

"Skate park tonight, right?" Czerny held his skateboard at his side, but Whelk didn't seem to have his. 

Whelk sighed. "I can't. Required family dinner tonight."

"WHAT?" Czerny yelled. "But the skate park is a tradition. We always go after the first day of school." 

"I know." Whelk yanked angrily on this striped tie. "Mom is forcing me to. She and dad want to talk to me. They're filing for divorce. Think I dont know." He kicked at the sidewalk.

Czerny was silent, spinning the wheels of his skateboard. He nudged his shoulder against his friends.

___________________________________

September: 

"Mom doesn't want me to do lacrosse anymore," Whelk started as soon as Czerny sat next to him in myth class. 

"Thank god," Noah said, relief making his shoulders slump. Whelk glared at him. "I mean, 'Oh no! That's terrible! Why not?'"

Whelk rolled his eyes. "I know you hate lacrosse."

"I suck ass. You'd hate it too if you only got off the bench long enough to get injured." 

Whelk laughed. Czerny won the Most Injuries, Least Play Time award both years in junior high. He hadn't been looking forward to high school tryouts. Even if he made the team, it'd be JV. Whelk was all but guaranteed varsity and Czerny's complete ineptitude amused him to end. But they'd met playing kiddie lacrosse in second grade and had been best friends since.

"Seriously, though. Why can't you play?"

"Dad played. He was on Aglionby's varsity team as a freshman too. Mom says she wants me to focus on school and college but we all know that's bullshit." 

_____________________

October: 

"Why are you wearing a sheet?" Whelk asked, dropping into the seat next to Czerny. 

"I'm a ghost!" Czerny claimed proudly. I pointed to the splotchy if red on his chest. "A murdered ghost. I'm here to haaaauuuunnnttt yooouuuuu!"

Whelk laughed. 

"Noah! Barrington! Pay attention!" Professor Danes slammed his cane on the ground. 

Whelk kicked Czerny with his foot, pretending to convulse and die slowly, slumping in his seat. 

"Chester's party tonight?" Whelk asked later. Noah rode his skateboard down the hall, gliding like a ghost. 

"Since when do we go to Chester Hemminfield's parties? 

"We don't. But it's free booze and I don't have to go home. Plus," he kicked Czerny's board from under his feet. "Marissa will be there." 

Czerny blushed. 

________________________

November

"Can Whelk spend Thankgiving with us?" Czerny asked. 

"What?" His mom looked up. "No. Noah, he has his own family. This is our family time."

"Whelk is practically my brother. He is family." 

"It won't kill you to spend some time a part. I'm sure his mom wants him home." 

Czerny didn't tell her that Mrs. Whelk had left a few night ago and hasn't been back. She called to say she needed time away and would be spending Thanksgiving in Amsterdam. Czerny also couldn't tell her Mr. Whelk called and said he'd be spending Thankgiving with his new girlfriend. The divorce had only been finalized last month. Since then, Whelk spent more nights on the couch in Czerny's room than he did at home. 

Czerny went to his room. 

"No luck," he told Whelk. "She thinks your mom or dad will want to have you with them. If you let me tell her-"

"No!" 

"But-"

"Czerny! No! If anyone finds out they're never home, it would cause problems. Its bad enough that mom's been shunned by her friends for being a divorcee." 

Czerny wanted to argue but he knew it wouldn't matter. Amongst the upper class you didn't divorce. It just 'wasn't done.' You dealt with your problems silently and pretended you didn't have any. 

Whelk sighed and waved away Czerny's concern. "It doesn't matter. I'll find somewhere else to go." He changed the subject, "Look, I took this book from Harrington." 

Czerny rose an eyebrow. "You stole a stupid book from our mythology teacher?" 

"The old man will freak. I swear he has those books organized by page count." 

Czerny thought that was extremely likely. "Is it any good? Nothing beats the drunk god creating humans." 

"Explains why humanity is so fucked up," Whelk agreed. "Thi s one is not that interesting. Except one. There's a myth about a long-lost king, Glendower, who grants a wish to anyone that wakes him." 

"If only," Czerny sighed, dipping the snow globe he held back and forth, watching the glitter fall.

"Yeah. What would you wish for?"

Czerny grinned, "Endless Blink-182 concert tickets? Oh, or maybe Green Day."

Whelk looked at him unamused, "your rich. You have that." 

Czerny nodded solemnly. "Alas. Perhaps I should ask for eternal life! Or invincibility! Or endless knowledge - ya know, so this school shit can be over." 

Whelk didn't seem to be listening anymore. Czerny frowned. 

"What about you? What would you wish for?" 

Whelk stared at the pages in front of him. He stared at his best friend. He thought of his family and his inheritance. His guaranteed ivy league education. He wondered how he could have everything and still have so much missing.

_________________________

December

It was Chistmas. Czerny and Whelk skated through town, loaded up on Mountain Dew and Christmas cookies. 

Whelk rambled about the lost king and his wishes. He'd grown obsessed over the past few weeks.

"They hid him on a ley line - a magical energy line that criss crosses the word - and many scholars think he's somewhere around here." 

"You should put this much dedication into school, Whelk," Czerny muttered. Whelk ignored him. 

"I bet we could find him. Even if he doesn't grant wishes or whatever the notarity of finding him would set us for life." 

"You're already set for life," Czerny laughed. 

"I bet he's in a cave somewhere. We found those caves on the Randall's property a few years ago. We could start looking for him there. 

"Maybe we should look on the ley lines." Czerny laughed. 

"Of course! He'd have to be on a ley line. The magic would keep him alive. We need to find areas that have caves and sit on a ley line." Whelk stopped his board and turned around. 

"Whoa!" Czerny stumbled to a stop when he realized Whelk had turned around. "Where are you going?" 

"City Hall! C'mon! They have old maps. We can use them to find caves." 

"It's Christmas, Whelk," Czerny's hesitant voice brought Whelk to a stop. "I have family dinner. You can come. That's better than hunting archives for a dusty map."

"This is important, Czerny. It's magic and wishes and adventure and something better, something more!" 

"You don't really believe in all this magic shit, do you?" 

"Maybe. I don't know." Whelk stared at Czerny, a frown on his face. "Look, do what you want. If you want to ditch me too, go for it." He kicked off and started toward Main Street again.

Czerny stood, confused, on the side walk. Then he sighed, kicked off his board, and followed his best friend. He couldn't leave him. He'd help Whelk because that's what friends did. Knowing Whelk, he'd get bored with this in a few more weeks. Czerny texted his mom, telling her he'd be late for dinner. He ignored the responding string of angry messages. She didn't understand - Whelk need a friend - needed him.


	2. Freshman Year - Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was rushed and the one i planned out the least. Sorry for how short it is. 
> 
> Let me know if there are any mistakes, I wrote on my phone.

January

The house rattled with bass hits as Czerny danced through the crowded room. It was New Year's, ten minutes to midnight. He was dancing with a girl named Rachel. She was a sophomore, but even with his lowly freshman status, he'd managed to win her over. They'd been dancing all night - closer and closer. The bass pulsed into a slower song and Rachel pressed against him, her arms around his neck. When midnight clicked into place, they kissed. And kissed. 

School started again the next Wednesday. 

"I kissed her, dude. Rachel Sinclair. Several times," Czerny skated next to Whelk, recapping his weekend. "I can't believe you missed the party to spend the night surrounded by old books. Rachel's friend Farrah was there. She's hot. I could've set you up." 

Czerny was so busy talking he almost their turn off. Whelk grabbed him and steered him around the corner. Czerny never paused in his speal, simply kicked back off his board and continued to talk. 

"After midnight we went to the lake. A whole bunch of us. Got drunk and swam in our underwear until, like, 4. I had to sneak back inside. Mom knew of course but she's so happy I have a social life now that she let it go. Made me pancakes the next morning and everything." They passed through the gates at school, skating through the mass of boys. "How was New Years woth your mom? She bring anything back from Amsterdam?" 

"She didn't come back." Whelk shoved his hand deep in his pockets. 

"What the hell, man? You've been alone this whole time?" 

Whelk shrugged and dropped into his usial seat. "No big deal. Got some research done on this Welsh king." 

Czerny rolled his eyes. Whelk didn't notice. 

"I think i have a few ideas where he might be. We should check it out." 

Czerny stared at him. Whelk was acting like this magic and wishes bullshit was real. Before he could figure out what to say class started. 

Saved by the bell, Czerny thought. 

February 

"Noah Czerny." 

"Right here, Madame!" Czerny crowed. The student deliverant worked his way through the crowd of boys to give Noah the flowers. Aglionby paired up with the local girl private school on Valentine's Day. Student from either school could purchase flowers for another student. The colors were coded with different meanings - unofficially, of course. Noah had sent five bouquets. One pink one to Rachel, who he'd been dating for almost a month. And three purple ones to his sisters. (His youngest sister, Sophie, wasn't old enough for the academy yet. She had been upset last year when Adele and Mattie came home with flowers and she hadn't. Noah didn't like Sophie upset so he had purple flowers delivered to her school today through an outside vendor.) The fifth the bouquet was a joke. Bright red roses to Whelk. Red roses were never sent. They meant love. No teenager was stupid enough to admit that. Czerny grinned. 

The delivery man dropped two bouquets on Czerny's desk. A pink one from Rachel. A purple one from his sisters.

After class, Czerny found Whelk is the restroom shoving the yellow flowers into the trash. 

"Hey!" Czerny laughed. "I spent a lot of money on those!" 

Whelk threw more flowers in. "Not funny, Czerny. Everyone laughed." 

"C'mon, man. Who cares. I love ya!" Czerny grabbed Whelk in a hug. Whelk shoved him off. 

"Don't touch me."   
"What's your problem?" Czerny wasn't laughing anymore, but the grin wouldn't go away. "It's just a joke."

"Everyone laughed. The card was clarly from Aglionby. Everyone is going to think-" he stopped, his face bright red. "Nevermind, Czerny. Go water the flowers from your girlfriend or something." Whelk slammed the door as he left. 

Czerny picked up a rose that had falled on the floor and tucked it behind his ear as he went back to class. 

March 

Dust swirled through the field as Czerny and Adele raced their go-cart around trees and over dirt ramps. Their laughter echoed through the air. 

Czerny drove in circles around a tree until they were both dizzy. They stopped the go-cart and raced on foot to the lake. 

"I let you win," Czerny said. 

Adele laughed. "Bullshit." 

Czerny collapsed on the ground. Adele sat next to him, drawing in the dirt with a stick.

"Mom is going to kill us." She slapped dust off her arms, dirt billowing in clouds off her. 

"I'm worried about Whelk," Czerny blurted. "He obessed with this old myth. Something about a wish." 

Adele watched him. "He's going through a rough patch. Maybe he just needs something to focus on." 

"Wishes and magic and warlocks. Its crazy." Czerny sat up. "He night I stayed over at his house? He made us spend all night wandering the woods looking for 'signs of magic.' I kid you not. He's losing his mind." 

"He needs a friend, Noah. He needs you. Lead him back to sanity or whatever." Adele shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt for you to talk. Guys have emotions too. They need to talk." 

"Hey," Czerny said, defensive. "I talk to you all the time about feelings and stuff." 

She scoffed, "Yeah. To me. But dudes don't talk to each other. Whelk doesn't have sisters. So you need to be there for him. Emotional support and all that." 

Czerny was quiet. "Eew. Feelings." 

Adele laughed. She ran and jumped into the drivers seat of the go-cart. "Get in loser, I have an idea."

Three hours later they were walking back to the house, covered in mud. 

"It was an accident."

"You drove into a lake, Adele!" 

"But it was fun." 

April

The power flashed and the TV shut off. 

Czerny screeched. "There was only ten minutes left! No!" 

Whelk laughed, "It's Gilmore Girls, Czerny. Not a murder mystery. You can guess what happens. And you've seen that episode before." 

"That's not the point! It's left unfinished! I cannot leave things unfinished!!" 

Whelk threw his English textbook at Czerny. "You should be studying anyway." 

Czerny scoffed. "Finals aren't until next month." 

"I want to spend as much time as we can searching for Glendower. The weather should be better by then." 

"You're not serious." He was. "You actually want to look for him? Whelk, he's not real! It's a myth!" 

Whelk frowned, "you don't have to go. But the research I've done makes me think it might be real. Which means the wish might be real."

Czerny sighed. "I don't even know what I'd wish for." 

"Must be nice," Whelk muttered. Then, louder, "I just want to know if there's mre out there. If there's something more to the world than this." 

"What's so bad about this?" 

Whelk stared at his friend, struck by the feeling that they didn't match anymore. Czerny had a self-assurance and contentment that Whelk hadn't had in a long time. Noah Czerny had found himself in high school. Barrington Whelk was getting more lost by the day. 

"Nothing, Czerny. Life is good." 

Czerny grinned. "Damn right, bro."

May

"One year down. Three more to go!" Whelk crowed. His voice sobered, "Can't wait to be out of this hell. Out of that house." 

Czerny rise his eyebrows. Whelk didn't talk much about his family or home anymore. "You wanna talk?" He said it casually, as if he didn't really care. 

"About what?" Whelk jumped on to his board and headed toward the library. "You coming? We need to reevaluate our search parameters. I found since new info during fourth period." 

Fourth period was Whelk's math class. Czerny sighed, thinking back a few weeks ago, he'd passed by Libby's room. She'd been in the phone with her friend. They were sharing secrets, a confidential back-and- fourth of trust and help. So Czerny followed Whelk and he stayed at the library with him until late that night. Whelk never said a word, so obsessed I his reading he didn't notice when Czerny left. 

I'd wish for my friend back, Noah thought. He couldn't remember the last conversation they'd had where Whelk hadn't mentioned the dead wizard king.


	3. Summer Before Sophomore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week is finals so I probably won't be able to update but I have this chapter done sooner than expected. So yay!
> 
> Once again written on my phone, let me know if there are any problems.

June

Czerny knocked rapidly on Whelk's window, precariously hanhing from the side of the house. 

The window flew open as Czerny's fist swung forward. 

"Fuck it!" Whelk yelled, stumbling back from the window. "What are you doing?" 

Czerny laughed and climbed gracelessly through the window. "C'mon. We're going out." 

He glanced around Whelk's room, not much had changed over the years. Skateboard parts and clothes scattered about, school books dumped unceremoniously on the floor, a thick layer of dust over everything. Only now Welsh history books sat beside lacrosse trophies. Noah ignored the hundreds of sticky notes peaking out of the pages, just like he ignored the mud covered hooking boots and the shovel stacked in the open closet. 

"I got us tickets to Blink-182 in D.C. tonight. If we leave now and eat in the car, we'll make it. I told Mom I'm staying at Chess'. Go tell your mom the same abbr let's go." 

Whelk shrugged, "She won't notice I'm gone of we sneak out. How are we getting there?"

Czerny held up his sister's car keys. "Adele is at cheer camp for the next weeks. She won't know." 

"We don't have licences, Czerny." 

Czerny thought of Whelk skipping class and the muddy boots. "Who cares? We need this. You need a break from the divorce bullshit. So long as we don't get caught no one needs to know." 

Six hours later, Czerny's mom dropped Whelk off at his house. 

"I don't get it, Noah." Czerny's mother shook her head. "This isn't like you. You've never done something this stupid before." 

Czerny leaned his head against the window, "I'm sorry," he whispered. And he was. 

Sorry they got caught. Sorry his mom had to leave her Rieslings and Reality TV girls night to bail him and Whelk out of jail. Sorry Whelk was forced to call his mom four times before she answered, forced to listen to her say she'd come in the morning after her date left. Sorry that he'd only made it worse by calling his mom, who picked up on the second ring and dropped everything to come get them. 

"It's Whelk, isn't it? I know he's going through a lot, Noah, but-"

"No! No buts. He needs me mom. He needed a night away from that house. I'm trying to be a good friend!"

"And what about him? Is he being a good friend? Getting you arrested?"

"That was not his fault. It was my idea."

His mother scoffed, "Of course it was. Barrington has never been the instigator, what was I thinking!" 

"Mom-" 

"No. You're grounded, Noah. Three weeks. No TV, no computer. You babysit whenever I ask. You go no where and no one comes over, especially Barrington Whelk." 

Czerny flushed red, opened his mouth to argue and,

"One more word and I'll it'll be the whole summer." 

Czerny slumped his seat and kicked his knee against the door. 

July

The first thing Czerny did when he got his phone and freedom back two weeks later was call Whelk. 

"Who the fuck calls people? Your like an old person."

"I know," Czerny sighed dramatically. "Took me half an hour to figure out how. But desperate times. Where are you?" 

"Woods. Glendower searching. Found a possible cave system he might be in." 

Czerny felt his heart drop with disappointment. "Please tell me you haven't been searching for this dude all summer. Please tell me you've done something else." 

"Of course I have!" Whelk replied, indignant. Czerny grinned, this was progress. "I went to that concert with you."

So close and yet so far, Czerny thought. 

Whelk was still talking, "I'm on the Chandler's property. Meet me at the dead end of Hawthorn street. Bring real shoes." 

Czerny glanced down at his sneakers. "Real shoes?" 

The dial tone answered him. 

It took Czerny half an hour to get to Whelk and another hour of hiking through the mountains to get to the cave system Whelk had found. It was a crevice in the side of the mountain, barely wide enough for Czerny to fit through - he couldn't help but think that there's no way a rescue worker could get through. 

"No. No way." Czerny crossed his arms taking a step back. "That looks like death waiting to happen." 

"I've been in a dozen times," Whelk answered, switching his aviators for a headlamp. "Its a tight squeeze for a few feet, then it opens into a cavern. You'll be fine. I promise." 

Czerny grimaced. "You're going to be the death of me." He told his friend as he took the headlamp Whelk offered. "I'm beginning to think my mother is right. You're a bad influence."

Whelk laughed, a real one Czerny hadn't heard in months. "What else is new? Look, you don't have to come. Not if you don't want to." 

Czerny looked at again the dark crevice, then at Whelk smiling and eager. "Nah. I'm going. Can't let you take all the credit when we find this guy. I want a wish too." 

"Oh, yeah?" Whelk slipped into the mountain, his voice echoing oddly in the space. "What will you wish for?"

Czerny thought. Then just answered, "Immortality, duh!" He didn't think Whelk would like his actually wish. "You?" 

Czerny suddenly found himself standing a large cavern, a pool of water stretching far into blackness at his side. 

"I know. It's amazing, isn't it?" Whelk was smirking at Czerny's expression, doubtless one of wonder. Czerny loved strange and beautiful things. 

"Makes me want to believe in magic," Czerny admitted. Whelk swelled with pride at the admission. 

"Let's go. There's a path over here I haven't gone down yet." 

The path was long and narrow and exceptionally dark. The light from their headlamps barely allowed them to see. 

"I can't believe you did this alone." Czerny's hand was curled tight into the back of Whelk's shirt. The darkness pressed on him, stuffed his throat and froze his lungs. 

He could see nothing except Whelk's silouhette and his hand, white-knuckled and clench into the blue fabric. They could die down here. Die and never be found. Suffocate with lack of oxygen, crushed under a cave in, they could trip or fa- 

Whelk disappeard with a screech. And the a tug on Czerny's arm, violent and heavy. He found himself on the ground, breath crushed from his lungs. Blackness surrounded him. Breathe, breathe, breathebreathebreathebreathe. 

"Whelk?!" Czerny gasped out. "Oh my god, Whelk?!" 

"I'm okay," Whelk's voice was a whisper. Czerny forced his eyes open, staring down into a deep, endless hole. Whelk hung over the edge, hands dug deep into the muddy ground. The only keeping from falling was Czerny's death grip on his shirt. 

"Pull me up." Whelk was sheet white in the light of Czerny's headlamp. "Pull me up. Now. Please, Czerny. Now." 

"Yeah." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "Yeah." 

It took careful maneuvering and several tense minutes to get Whelk securely back on solid ground. They collapsed on the dirt, breathing hard and shaking. 

"That is some damn strong fabric, man," Czerny said when the panic passed.

Whelk patted Czerny on the cheek. "I owe you my life." He said it like a joke, but there was an undertone of levity in the strong grip he still had on Czerny's arm. 

"You owe me more than that. You owe me a jumbo pack of sour patch kids." He forced his legs to hold him and dragged Whelk up with him. "Let's get out of here." 

They stumbled there way back through the tunnels. Czerny kept a toght grip on his friends arm the whole time. 

The sunlight was blindingly bright when they finally got out and the both stood there blinking. 

Whelk started laughing first, tears streamed from his eyes. It was contagious and Czerny doubled over in hysterics. 

"You're never doing this shit alone again. I'm surprised you haven't died already." Czerny bumped his shoulder against Whelk's to urge him toward the road. 

"Maybe you're just unlucky," Whelk said, falling into step beside his best friend. 

They made their way back to their bikes, Whelk's hands coated in mud and Czerny's check smeared with dirt, like a shadow.


	4. Sophomore Year - Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. Finally it's here! 
> 
> Please leave feedback! It makes me want to write.

August 

That summer was scorchingly hot, but nothing could stop Czerny and Whelk from exploring the Virginian countryside. Every day, all day. The cave a set loose a burning desire in them both. Czerny followed Whelk's lead, going where he wanted and never doubting. Whelk had a year of research and planning on Czerny, something he never failed to point out. 

Today, they were hiking through the Virginain country side, the grass knee high and mountains blue in the distance. Whelk was chattering on about a new pair of specially made sunglass his father had sent from Italy. Czerny would've sinned out even without the heat getting too his head. He turned down his music, leaving Stevie Nicks crooning softly in one ear. 

"Let's head back," he said, grabbing the back of Whelk's shirt. "I'm dying." 

Whelk glanced back. Czerny's face was bright red, his pupils blown and eyes glazed. Sweat dampened his shirt. Whelk turned back to his map. 

"A little more," Whelk insisted. Czerny groaned, collapsing against Whelk and nearly sending them both to the ground. " There's a lake not far from here. We can cool off there." 

Czerny, laying on the ground, mumbled. 

Whelk grabbed his arms and started dragging him. "You're pathetic." 

"I'm white. I have no heat tolerance."

The lake came into view. Whelk dropped Czerny and took off toward it, ignoring the screams of betrayal behind him. 

Czerny forced himself to follow. He jumped into the lake, shoes and all. He felt his heart stutter at the sudden temperature change. 

"Oh thank god," he whimpered, floatingon his back. "There's hope still."

Water splashed into his face. He spit water back. 

He kept beneath the surface, using the water as a shield against the sun. It was only after several minutes of blissful silence that Czerny grew concerned. 

He looked around, the lake was more of a pond. It sat in a small valley of green grass sparse trees. There was nothing else in sight. And no one. 

"Whelk?" Czerny looked toward the shore. Whelk's shirt and shoes still there, next to Czerny's hiking pack. 

"Whelk!" Czerny called again. When there was still no answer he stood, wading deeper in the water. He couldn't remember when he'd lady heard Whelk. 

"Whe-"

"Dude!" Czerny jumped as Whelk appeared in the water a few feet away. "Look!" He lifted something over his head. 

"Wow. A steering wheel to a shitty old car. Fascinating." 

Whelk shot Czerny a look to freeze water. "You're no fun." 

He threw the steering wheel out into the lake, it spun like a frisbee. 

"Have you thought about what happens if Glendower is under a lake?" Czerny thought suddenly. 

Whelk shrugged. "Unlikely." 

Czerny let it drop. Whelk wasn't one to plan ahead. 

Whelk moved back to the beach, spreading out his map to mark the area they covered today. Czerny's phone started ringing, "Dancing Queen" blasting from his back pack. 

"What's up, sister-of-mine," Czerny answered cheerily. He'd changed her ringtone a few weeks ago after her seventeenth birthday. 

"Where are you? Mom is freaking out!" Emma yelled. 

"With Whelk. Hiking."

"Again?" The disgust was clear in Emma's voice. She wasn't exactly a outdoorsy person. "Whatever. You were supposed to go back to school shopping with mom today. Remember? You put it off all summer." 

"I've been busy," Czerny stood, morning to Whelk that they needed to leave. Whelk flashed him a irritated look but stayed silent. 

"Bullshit, Noah. Whelk can spend a few hours alone. God, you two are awful. Just come home." 

Czerny rolled his eyes and hung up. 

 

September

"Your on the white line again," Czerny's father chastised softly. Czerny moved the car back to the center. 

"You're doing really well, Noah. Just relax a little." 

Czerny glanced at his father. "What?"

He grinned and tapped his son's hand. 

Czerny released a breath and worked on loosening the white-knuckled grip he had on the wheel. A sped around them, blaring their horn. Czerny gripped the wheel again. 

"Can we practice parking again?" Czerny's jaw hurt from clenching it so hard. 

His father laughed. It was the laugh Czerny had too. Loud and raucous and uninhibited. Czerny turned into the nearest parking lot, one for an old Catholic church called St. Agnes. Noah vaguely recalled this being the church used for Agliony's baccalaureate ceremony. 

"Circle the lot. I'll pick a spot and you park in it." 

Czerny started driving. They'd practised a few times - reversing into a spot, pulling ib forward, parallel parking which Czerny thought was bullshit. This wad Virginia, no one parallel parked. He was getting better, though. The first time his dad had taken him out to practise, Czerny had run until a trash can and gone over a curb. All while still on their neighborhood street. His dad had laughed and driven them to the back country roads the next few times. Czerny had only recently started practising in populated areas. 

"Your mom is worried." His dad said. Czerny started circling the lot again. "About Whelk. Thinks your around him too much and that he's a bad influence." 

Czerny loved his dad, he never beat astound the bush. 

"She hasn't cared before." 

His father pointed too another spot. "She just hasn't said anything. She's always thought Whelk was a wild card. A little too unpredictable." He looked at his son. "I agree, by the way." 

Czerny's stomach turned. "I don't understand. Whelk is my best friend." 

"We know." 

"So... what? What do you want me to? Stop being friends with him?" 

His father was shaking his head. "Of course not. Just - just maybe spend some time with other people. Do your own thing. We like Whelk, he means well and he's going through a rough time. But we don't want that to cause you problems." 

"Okay," Noah answered slowly. He hesitated, then said, " homecoming is next month. I was thinking of asking Alyssa."

"Alyssa Debois? Pretty girl, good family." His father nudged his arm. "Good luck."

Czerny laughed. Alyssa worked at the bookstore in town and her family went to church his. He'd seen a lot her lately because Whelk and he constantly needed new Glendower books. 

He parallel parked nextto the curb. His dad opened his door to check and grinned, "Best one yet, Noah. Nearly perfect!" 

Czerny raised a hand for a high-five. "I'm gonna kill this test." 

 

October

Czerny's suit was pin-stripped black. He'd gone shopping with his dad. He wanted to look like a man, not a 15 year old. He needed a man's opinion. 

His mother helped him choose flowers. He got her a corsage of orange carnations and white roses. The band was gold lace, the flowers dusted with glitter. 

Alyssa wore orange. Czerny decided he loved orange. She wore lip gloss that tasted like cherries and blush that sparkled in even the dimmest of light. She danced like water. Alyssa requested a Blink-182 song for them to dance to. 

Czerny always fell too easy and too hard. He knew that. He didn't care. 

They went to an elaborate steak house before. They shared a cupcake and danced all night. They got pancakes at 3 am and snuck into the pool house at her home. Czerny snuck home a few hours later, floating and half in love already. 

He collapsed into bed, too wired to sleep. He called Whelk. He told him everything. 

Whelk listened and grew bitter. 

 

November

Whelk stood at the curb, waiting for Czerny. 

Czerny rolled down the window and sped up, slamming on the breaks right next to his best friend. 

Czerny grinned and leaned over to look out the window. "Get in loser. We're going shopping." 

Whelk eyed the car, a slow grin taking over his face. "The hell is this?" 

"My new car! Got my licence! Mom and Dad surprised me with it yesterday. C'mon. Gotta go test it out!" Czerny revved the engine of the candy apple red mustang. 

Whelk climbed in and blasted the music as Czerny sped away. The parking lot monitor screamed after them to slow down. 

It would've normally taken a couple of hours to reach their starting point for Glendower. With Czerny driving, feeling immortal and relentlessly alive, it took a little over an hour. 

They were searching through the woods now. Giant trees, leaves red at the end of fall, grass brown, and the air scented with the sweet scent of decaying plants. Sunset came earlier and the pale rays of sun filtered weakly through the trees. 

"This places me believe in magic." Czerny ran his hand along the bark of an evergreen.

Whelk snorted. "Gay." 

Czerny frowned. 

"This way." Whelk took off into the trees, Czerny close behind. They walked for hours, Czerny kicking leaves and staring in awe at everything. Whelk tossed a heavy stone up and down. 

The forest ended abruptly. Whelk cursed. "What a waste of time. We should've gone the other way." 

Czerny bumped his shoulder. "We'll go that way next time. No rush." 

"Maybe for you," muttered Whelk, throwing his rock on the ground. "I need that wish. I'm tired of hunting for this damn king. I want to find him. I want my miracle." 

Whelk was breathing hard. Czerny stared. 

"Whelk. We can come back next weekend. Go the other way. This is just a fun adventure, right?"

"No, Czerny it's not!" Whelk grew furious. "This isn't a joke! There is magic and there is a wish!" He grabbed Czerny by the front of his shirt. His voice dropped, low and uneven. "I know we're close. This place is on a ley line. The ley line is magic. We come back tomorrow. We go the other way. I get my wish. I get my parents back. I get to be successful. Rich. Powerful. Anything I want." 

Czerny stood still, he didn't recognize his friend. His voice was hoarse as soft when he spoke. "Let's - let's look around. M-maybe there's something." 

Czerny hated confrontation. His hands shook. Whelk shoved Czerny away. "You don't get it. You, with your awesome parents and your hot girlfriend. Popular and all that shit. Even decent at school. Of course you don't get it." 

Czerny leaned back against the tree behind him, he said nothing. Whelk was just angry. He always got this way near the holidays. He'd calm down. 

Czerny looked up and he wasn't at the edge of the trees anymore. He stood in the middle of the woods, the trees exceptionally large and it was the middle of the night. This place could not exist, could not be real. The colors were too vibrant, the noises too sharp. Was he dreaming? 

"What it this?" He whispered. The tree shook against him and he sprang up. A crack split the trunk, just large enough for Czerny to fit through. He stepped closer, he heart slamming hard into his ribs. 

Don't go closer, he thought. His body didn't listen. 

He stepped inside the tree. 

It was a kaleidoscope. Flashing light, shifting color, moving pictures. 

Flash

A body on the ground, covered in bees. 

Flash

Whelk kneeling on the ground, dirt and blood on his clothes

Flash

A girl with short hair, sitting in sunlight

Flash

His sisters sitting on his bed, Emma I the middle wearing his favorite Fall Out Boy hoodie. 

Flash

Noah sledding on cardboard behind a shinny silver car. 

Flash

Noah, standing at a second story railing, looking down into an empty warehouse, voices echoed below, out of sight, calling to him.   
I don't go by Noah, Czerny thought. 

Flash

Czerny reeled away from the tree. He blinked and the tree was normal again, the sun setting as it should be. 

Noah couldn't breath. 

"Czerny!" Whelk sounded exasperated. Czerny jumped and spun around. 

"What?" Czerny saw Whelk kneeling on the ground, covered in blood. 

"Nevermind. Fuck you, man. We'll come back tomorrow." 

Whelk stomped off, Czerny flowed begins him in a daze, his head spinning. He glanced back at the tree. It stood away from the others like it didn't belong. A small steam trickled on its other side. Czerny blinked, and saw, for an instant, the tree surrounded by others, the steam a steady river.

He ran to catch up to Whelk. He didn't look back. 

 

December

Czerny say on the couch watching reruns of Teen Titans. It was the second night this week he'd hadn't slept for nightmares. 

He ate his cereal. He ignored the ache in his eyes. Nightmares had become a weekly thing, all featuring magic trees that ate you and a bloodied Whelk. 

He'd gone with Whelk several more times since then. Whelk was still easily angered and it only got worse the longer they found nothing. They searched exclusively on the ley lines now. Occasionally revisiting the cave from their first introduction to music. Still nothing. 

Czerny was scared. Not of Whelk, never of Whelk. For Whelk. 

"Can't sleep?" His mother walked in, wrapped her silk robe. 

Czerny shook his head and rested on his mom's shoulder as she sat next to him. 

"That's the eighteenth time this month."

Czerny tilted his head to look at her. "You keep count?" 

"I'm worried. I think you need to take a break from this ghost hunt of your. From... Whelk." 

Czerny sat up. His mother held up a hand to stop him from speaking. 

"Who are you?" 

"What?" Czerny laughed in surprise. That wasn't what he expected. 

"Who are you? Tell me. It's a simple question." She turned to face him, face earnest. 

Czerny hesitated, then answered. "I'm a brother and a son. A boyfriend and a bestfriend. A high school-"

"No." Her voice was solid. Czerny blinked.

"What?" 

Her voice grew insistent. "Who are you? Who are you? Not who are you to other people, not who are in regard to someone else. Who. Are. You?" 

"I don't understand."

She sighed. "Exactly." 

They sat in silence. 

Czerny's mother pulled her son into a hug, rested her chin on his head. "You need to know who you without regard to other people. To not define yourself based on other people." 

On Whelk, Czerny thought. He was tired. 

"He's my best friend." 

"He's dragging you down with him." 

Czerny pulled away. "Maybe I'm pulling him up. I can't just stop being his friend. I can't leave him, not like everyone else." 

She pursed her lips. "We're going on vacation. We rented a house in Costa Maya for winter break. We leave tomorrow. If you can't sleep, you may as well pack." She stood and walked to the stairs. 

Czerny called out, "for how long?"

His mother didn't stop, "three weeks. Just the family." 

Czerny was bathed in ice. "That the whole break! I won't see Whelk. I promised-" 

His mother disappeared upstairs. Czerny slumped on the couch, trying not to notice the relief he felt that he would have a break from searching, from Whelk.


	5. Sophomore Year - Spring

January  
Czerny wandered the halls of the Whelk mansion. It was the first weekend back from his family vacation and he'd promised Whelk they'd hang out. 

The house was . . . empty. Oh sure, it was full of things - tables and paintings, vases and furniture. But everything held a thin layer of dust. The lights were off, there weren't even any tracks in the plush carpet. The air was stale and so quiet it sent chills arcoss Czerny's skin. He was walking through a house of ghosts. 

It only just occurred to him, as he past the seventh Tarkay painting, that there were no family pictures anywhere. 

Only one door had light seeping under it. Czerny knovked once and walked in. 

Whelk was passed out on his bed, surrounded by old books and notes. His room smelled like fresh dirt, which made sense once Czerny saw the open window letting in the rain and the dirt-stained shoes in the corner. 

He flicked Whelk's ear. 

Whelk jerked violently, he hands raising up fast as he moved back. "Czerny," Whelk said, blinking away sleep. Good. You're here. I found things." 

Whelk passed Czerny notes and diagrams. He'd done a lot of wandering while Czerny was gone. "I mainly searched that forest we found. There's something about it. Sonething magical. And it's on a ley line. Glendower has to be there," he voice was stiff with frustration. "I don't understand why we can't find him. This is bullshit. I'm tempted to bulldoze the whole lot."

Missed you too, friend. Czerny thought. My trip was great. I swam with dophins and bought sunglasses shaped like the sun. 

Czerny focused on a paper hidden beneath several others. A drawing of a tree. The tree. The one he'd been sucked into. The one that had shown him . . . whatever it was. The future? The past? He picked it up. "What's this?" 

Whelk froze, just for a second. "A tree," he paused. Chewed his lip. Sighed. "It's going to sound crazy, okay? But I touched that tree - It's the one in the field we found the first day? - I was sitting against it and all the sudden I was seeing things. Like, visions or something."

Czerny stared, a burning itch starting at the base of his skull.

Whelk misinterpreted his silence as disbielf. "I know it sounds crazy, but I swear. Visions, Czerny. Like magic. Magic is real and psychics are real and it's real." His grin was radiant. "I was right." 

He looked at Czerny, waiting. Czerny forced himself to nod. Magic. That was good. Magic was good. The visions were real - he wasn't crazy. Whelk saw visions too. Magic was good. He saw Whelk, not as he was now, but as he had been or would be or never was: covered in blood, kneeling in the grass. He forced out, I believe you. I think I saw-" 

Whelk interrupted in excitement. He only needed Czerny's validation. "I've also been thinking. I wasn't gonna say anything before. But if magic is real, maybe we don't need Glendower. Maybe I can get my wish without him. He can't be the only magic. Maybe we should take matters into our own hands." 

Whelk covered in blood, kneeling in the grass. Remnants of tears streaked his face, but he grinned with anticipation. 

"There's a thousand movies about why normal people shouldn't play with magic," Czerny quipped. 

"Don't be a dick. We're not normal."

Czerny didn't get that at all but he said nothing. Instead, no longer able to contain his curioisty, he asked Whelk what he'd seen in the tree. 

Whelk shrugged, "Nothing much. Enough to convince me I don't need Glendower. I just need to figure out where to start looking for magic." 

If Whelk's shoulders looked tense and he'd hesitated to answer Czerny's question, if his voice was little too light and flippant, well Czerny didn't notice - he didn't want to. 

Magic is real. Czerny thought. There is something more to this world.

 

February

Valentine's day was for Alyssa. Czerny planned the whole thing. He bought her flowers and made reservations at an italian place in town. He wore a green button down and skinny jeand. She wore a pink dress with a microscopically small skirt. 

Czerny stole the peach snapps from his mom's liquor cabinet and hid it in the trunk. 

After dinner he drove up, up, up a winding road. It led to an outlook over the town, the lights far enough way to let the stars shine. 

He rolled down the windows and blasted the heater against the mid-winter cold. Alyssa tasted like peach snapps. Noah felt alive. 

He drove her home after sun rise. He called when he got home. She answered on the first ring. 

His mother told him he cared too much, to easily, too fast. He couldn't help it - there was a lot to love about people. But Alyssa? He thought he might like to see her in white one day, under the flickering light from a church's stained glass window. 

 

March  
"Why is it blue?" The house was a tasteful blue, but still. The fuck? 

"Aesthetic," Whelk answered, easily enough Czerny knew he'd already asked himself that and tried to find an answer. "Makes it seem more. . ." he stumbled, "psychic-ly? Psychic-like? Pyschic-ish?" 

Czerny didn't comment. Whelk had a found a local listing for psychics in Henrietta. They had solid ratings and a variety of advertised skill sets: psychometry, card-reading, tea leaves, palmistry, and dream-interpretation. If he remembered anything from Intro to Psych class, it was that dream-interpretation was more a Freud-thing than a Madame Zerroni thing. Czerny was skeptical. 

300 Fox Way looked more like a wholesome family home, albiet an extremely worn home. Czerny's mustang felt severly overdressed. 

He and Whelk made there way to the front door, Czerny raising his hand to knock. The door opened first. 

It was a woman, tall and slender, pretty, early thirties, maybe. But what Czerny noticed first was her long white hair. 

Her eyes - purple? - locked on Czerny. "Oh," her voice was soft, "already?" 

Czerny startled. "Excuse me?" He would've been slapped for using that tone in front of his mother. 

"Move," a voice said from deeper in the house. Another woman appeared, all dark where the other was light. "We're closed on Sundays. Leave." In her hand was a drink. Czerny didn't think it was orange juice. It was only 10 am. 

He and Whelk shared a look. 

She snapped, "It's a mimosa. They're supposed to be drunk in the morning." 

"Come in," the taller woman murmured, stepping back to allow them in. She whispered to the other woman, something about St Mark's Eve and a list. The dark one's eyes fell on Czerny. She stepped back. So did Czerny. 

Whelk walked in, grabbing Czerny's arm to make him follow. 

To say the house was cluttered was an understatement. It was a pure antithesis to Whelk's house: full of color and signs of the living, all the windows open and so much noise. Voices leaking from every room, footsteps overhead. 

The main room had several couches, how they fit them in here, Czerny thought, could only be magic. Two more women sat in there, one the same age as the others with black short hair and a mimosa. The second was a few years younger than Czerny, he figured. She looked him over in a fashion Czerny found unnervingly bold in someone so young. 

"Orla, get out." The dark one said from behind him. Orla pouted, but left by ignoring the space around Czerny and Whelk in favor of shoving between them. 

"I'm Maura." The black haired woman - Maura - motioned for them to sit across from her. The other two took a seat on either side. Maura introduced them as Calla and Persephone, though Czerny wasn't sure who was who. 

"We're here to learn about magic. I want to find a way to use it." Whelk spoke like he was saying he wanted to be lacrosse captain. 

Calla snorted. Maura rose an eyebrow. Persephone sat forward and said, "We cannot teach you that. But we can try to reach your future." She stared intently at Czerny, like he was a puzzle. Whelk shifted closer to his friend protectively. 

Whelk frowned, "what do you know about Glendower? About ley lines?" 

"Glendower?" Maura didn't sound all that curious. 

"Why should well tell you, kiddo?" Calla scoffed. She stretched, her hand coming to rest on the table. Czerny had a sudden image of a snake waiting to lunge and latch onto it's prey. 

"I'll pay you, obviously." Whelk straightened. "Double, if you want. I just want to information." 

Maura frowned. "We will not charge you double." She sounded offended. 

"Why not? If their stupid enough to throw away their money..." Calla grinned. It wasnt nice. 

"Take a card." Persephone held out a deck to Noah. He didn't like how much attention she gave him. Whelk jabbed him hard in the ribs. He took a card. Calla held out her deck and he chose one again, then again from Maura. He laid them down. They looked. 

The Six of Cups. The Seven of Swords. Death. 

The women were silent. 

Whelk drummed his fingers on the table. "Well? What's it mean?"

"It is not an exact science," Persephone answered. "Six of Cups could be friendship and innocence." She nodded, as if confirming her statement. 

"Seven of Swords," Calla continued. "Betrayal or dishonesty."

Maura studied Czerny, he noticed how his pale skin was nearly chalk now. "Death doesn't always mean dying. In fact, I'd say most of the time it doesn't." 

Czerny breathed out in relief. He missed the look Calla shot Maura. 

This time, Calla held out her cards first. Whelk didn't hesitate. 

The Two of Wands. "A choice to make," Calla told him, her eyes appraising. 

The Five of Cups. "Loss or regret," Persephone whispered, "I think more so the loss of something than the regret." 

The Six of Wands. Maura's brow furrowed. "Victory. Reward and recognition." 

Whelk grinned wide. "Sounds like a good year." He pulled out his wallet. "How much?" 

Czerny stared at the wall, he could feel Persophone's eyes on him and he didn't want to meet them. Friendship, betrayal. Death. It ran on a loop in his head. Whelk covered in blood. Czerny stood abruptly. 

"Let's go," he told Whelk as turned toward the door. 

Whelk didn't glance at him. "Not yet." He eyed Maura, pegging her as the one in charge. Czerny couldn't figure how. "The ley lines?" 

Maura's mouyh tightened. "Something tells me you know too much already." 

Whelk smirked. "Like a ghost? Or a voice in your head?"

Maura just stared. Whelk laughed and pulled another hundred from his wallet. He tossed it on the table and stood. Czerny and Whelk left. 

He looked back once they were in the car. The house still looked very blue and very normal. It didn't feel normal anymore though. It felt... like an omen. A window on the second floor moved, drawing Czerny's eye. Two girls stood there. The bold girl from before, and next to her a girl slightly younger. Maybe nine or ten. She stared right back, a serious look on her face. 

"I thought you wanted to leave. Let's go, Czerny." 

Czerny floored it out of there. 

 

April

His birthday. Seventeen. He was a king, flying high above the world. 

 

May  
"You missed finals. You'll have to go back next week now." Czerny found Whelk in the town library. "Also, I can't believe you missed finals to come to the library." 

"I found something. Something big. I got distracted, lost track of time." Whelk still seemed distracted. Like he was talking more to himself than Czerny. 

"Is that Latin?" The book was ancient and seemed to be written in Czerny's least favorite language. He'd tried Latin. He quick after two weeks and switched to Spanish. 

"Yeah. It's an old book I had shipped in from anoyhet library in DC. Supposedly an old witches spell book." His laugh was wild. 

Czerny sat down. "So, what'd you find? A way to pull a genie from a lamp? A Three Wishes Incantation? Blood Oath of Fortune?"

Whelk glared. "It's not a joke. Don't laugh." 

Czerny rolled his eyes. "Dude, doo you hear yourself? I believe Bout the magic thing, you know that. But, spells? Witches? C'mon." 

"Fuck you, Czerny. I found something to get me everything I ask for." He slammed the book and stood. "I'm going to get this right. I'm going to get everything." 

He eyes were bright and considering. He glipped through the book, then seemed to make a descision. "Will you help me? I need my best friend for this." 

Czerny grinned and slapped hands with Whelk. "Duh. Whatever you need. Let's do this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the Tarot card interpretations from google so if they're inaccurate or wrong. I apologize. 
> 
> Please leave comments! Give suggestions. Let me know what you like or don't like.

**Author's Note:**

> Anything you want me to write in? I'll take suggestions.


End file.
